Universal Design for Learning

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By: Jayne Bowen

Topic: Spectrum’s Pencil Company - The student will advertise their company’s pencils through multiple means of action and expression (Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences).

• Essentially, the goal for this unit is very broad to encourage variety and creativity through expression. During this particular unit, students are given the task of creating a real-world company, investing their own money, and marketing their merchandise to consumers (the students and staff members).

•Students incorporate Gardner’s multiple intelligences focusing on skills and strategies in reading, writing, mathematics, civics, fine arts, and technology to create, organize, and successfully market their merchandise to consumers (student, faculty, and family members).

•This specific lesson focuses on the various creative advertising techniques designed by the companies .

Goal

The student will use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

Technology Objectives

• Use databases and spreadsheets to evaluate information.• Use a variety of media to communicate information & ideas.• Choose the appropriate tool, format, and style to communicate information.• Independently use technology tools to create and communicate for individual and/or collaborative projects.• Produce documents demonstrating the ability to edit, reformat, and integrate various software tools.

Reading/Writing ObjectivesThe student will listen critically and express opinions in oral presentations.• compare and contrast viewpoints • present a convincing argument • use grammatically correct language and vocabulary appropriate to audience, topic, and purpose.

The creative advertisements from the companies paid off in the end, and the presidents from each company presented a check in the amount of $1,163.95 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

Multiple Means of Expression:

I see my students every other day for approximately 43 minutes, therefore, our simulations and units span over several weeks depending upon each individual class. The goal for this lesson was broad to provide students the freedom to demonstrate their knowledge and multiple intelligences with regards to advertising their company name and merchandise.

Students were presented with a variety of options for expressing their knowledge for advertising. • Computer Graphics: Computer, Promethean, Scanner, Camera, Excel Spreadsheets, Word, PowerPoint• Artistic Interpretation: paper, colored pencils, paint, 3-D sculptures• Company Jingle: writing, revising, rhythm, vocals• Foreign Language Connections: writing, editing, rehearsing, video-taping, iTranslate app •Choreographed Song &Dance: writing, editing, revising, music choice, movement, timing, rhythm• Photography: Flip camera, iPad, Adobe Photoshop, Paint

The #2 Crew Pencil Company used art supplies and creative ingenuity when designing their company logo.

Materials:• poster board•colored pencils • creative minds

Below is a photo of two students practicing their choreographed routine . They took the karaoke music version of Just Dance by Lady Gaga, and they wrote a song to advertise their company’s pencils. The song was video taped and broadcasted on our school news network. To watch the video, please proceed to the next slide.

“Just Write!”

Click on the video to view the choreographed song & dance.

Computerize Graphics depicting the company’s slogans

This was an interesting result. The two advertisements are from two different companies, in two different grade levels. Each company designed a pencil based on the video game, Call of Duty: Black Ops. Here are the results.

Call of Duty

Black Lead8th grade

Call of DutyBark Ops7th grade

Great MindsThinkAlike!

Jingl

e!

Poster Creations

The Di Penci Code Pencil Company expressed their knowledge in two successful ways: They wrote and performed their catchy jingle on the morning announcements, and…

Jingle! Jingle!

…the company members also created several eye-catching posters that were displayed throughout the school.

Students were given several options to express their ideas by creating original advertisements for their pencil companies.

- poems – skits – songs – jingles – drawings - computer graphics – speeches

As you can see, a variety of computer graphics utilizing images, company names, logos, and clever quotations were designed.

Due to the noise level in the cafeteria, the students knew it would be very difficult to hear their advertisements, and they came up with another way to express their advertisements.

• The I Don’t Use, Inc. Pencil Company decided they wanted to capture the attention of consumers (students and staff) specifically through visuals.

• They used computer graphics to create two visuals that could be seen and repeated over and over on the Promethean screen in the cafeteria.

Visual Expression Advertisements

El Lapiz! Students designed a pencil in Spanish to appeal to the students taking Spanish in all three grade levels.

El Lapiz Video Advertisement!The following video depicts two members of the Write for You Pencil Company advertising their pencils in Spanish. The video was a huge success, and the company sold out the day after the commercial aired!

YouTube Video: …And My Pencil!

I found this YouTube video to provide an example for means of expression. The video was created to motivate students for the MSAs, the Maryland State Assessments by using pencils. I wanted to give students a sample of what they might create utilizing the combined skills of writing, singing, music, and movement to advertise their pencils. The video incorporates music, students in the classroom, and the use of pencils.

YouTube Video: …And My Pencil!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufB9xj1IFQ4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Click the link to see the rap!

Here’s another creative way student chose to express their pencil slogan. The pencil slogan Lead It Rock, is shown above. Below is the actual pencil in metallic green.

Here a just a few of the pencils the students designed to market. Each company created a variety of advertisements to promote their pencil slogans.